Variable result game apparatus



Feb. 10, 1959 w, O'RQURKE 2,873,119

VARIABLE RESULT GAME APPARATUS Filed July 1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 r 70 /24 /3O 22 W] //A m Fig. 6

INVENTOR.

NEIL W. O'ROURKE Feb. 10, 1959 N. w. O'ROURKE VARIABLE RESULT GAME APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 1, 1955 Fig. IO

30 Fig.9

INVENTOR NEIL W. O'ROURKE &

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United States Patent Ofiice VARIABLE RESULT GAME APPARATUS Neil W. ORourke, La Jolla, Calif.

Application July 1, 1955, Serial No. 519,547

6 Claims. (Cl. 273-138) The present invention relates generally to games and more particularly to a variable result game apparatus. The primary object of this invention is to provide a game apparatus in which balls are conducted to various scoring binsaccording to moves of the players, the apparatus having concealed means for changing the paths of the balls between games so as to vary the results.

Another object of this invention is to provide a game apparatus in which the changeable portion can be adjusted without the players being aware of the degree of adjustment and thus being unaware of the actual changes made.

Another object of this invention is to provide a game apparatus having a preselector mechanism which is jointly operated by the players for each ball played, thus preventing either player from completely predicting the score.

Finally, it is an object to provide a game apparatus of the aforementioned character which is simple and economical to manufacture and may be made of different materials and in different sizes to suit requirements.

With these and other objects definitely in view, this invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions, as will be hereinafter fully described in the specification, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the drawing which forms a material part of this disclosure and wherein similar characters of reference indicate similar or identical elements and portions throughout the specification and throughout the views of the drawing, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the game apparatus.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the changeable selector disc.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 7--7 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on the line 10-10 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a top plan view showing a modified form of the apparatus.

Referring now to the structural details shown in the drawing, the apparatus comprises a lower director unit 6 and an upper pre-selector unit 8. The director unit 6 comprises a rectangular box or casing 10 having a top panel 12, side panels 14 and end panels 16, said casing being fixed to a base 18 which extends beyond both ends of the casing. Extending from each end panel 16 2,873,119 Patented Feb. 10, 1959- and fixed to the base 18 are score bins 20. Just below the top panel 12 and parallel thereto is a selector disc 22 having a central shaft 24 which extends upwardly through said top panel and is fitted with a knob 26. The top panel 12 is provided with four openings 28 equally spaced from the axis of the shaft 24 and the selector disc 22 has a plurality of tubular channels 30 extending angularly therethrough in a generally transverse direction, the upper ends of said channels being disposed equidistantly from the shaft to permit selective alignment of said ends with the openings 28.

Beneath the selector disc 22 are a plurality of chimney- -like receivers 32 extending upwardly from guides or ducts 34 which lead to the score bins 20. The receivers 32 are arranged in similar groups with their upper ends in a plane beneath the disc 22 and the receivers in each group are equally horizontally offset from the axis of the v corresponding opening 28, the relative positioning of the selectively register with the receivers 32. For each position of the selector disc 22, a ball dropped into any one of the openings 28 will be directed through the channel 30 therebelow to a specific one of the receivers, determined solely by the positioning of the disc 22, since such positioning of the disc determines which channel 30 will be disposed beneath the opening 28 and the direction in which the ball will be originally offset.

The actual number and arrangement of the channels 30 may be varied as may be the number and arrangement of the receivers 32 and ducts 34. The arrangement shown enables a ball inserted in each opening 28 to be directed to any one of the four score bins 20. The ducts 34, of course, slope downwardly from the receivers 32 so that the balls roll under the influence of gravity to the score bins.

To ensure that the channels 30 are in accurate alignment with the openings 28, the periphery of the selector disc 22 has a plurality of sockets 36 therein, the number of sockets being equal to or less than the number of said channels. At some positions of the selector disc 22 the combination of openings 28 and channels 30 may be unfair, that is the routing of the balls would result in a higher expectation of gain for one player than for the other, and consequently the number of possible routes must be limited.

The sockets 36 are engaged by an index pin 38 mounted I in a bracket 40 on one of the side panels 14 and slidable radially of the selector disc 22. The index pin 38 has an enlarged head portion 42 with a generally conical end 44 which enters the sockets 36, said pin being biased inwardly by a spring 46 arranged coaxially of the pin and compressed between said head portion and the side panel 14.

The index pin 38 extends outwardly through the side panel 14 and is fitted with a hand knob 48. The index pin 38 can thus be manually Withdrawn to allow the selector disc 22 to be rotated freely, or the disc can be rotated with the index pin engaged, the conical end 44 riding out of the sockets 36 as the disc rotates and acting as a click-stop detent means for the disc.

The preselector unit 8 comprises a casing 52 fixed on the top panel 12, said casing having sides 54 and 56, with ends 58 and a top panel 66. The shaft 24 extends upwardly through the top panel 60 and the knob 26 is mounted externally of the casing 52. The top panel 60.

has an opening 62 which is covered by a lid 64 pivotally attached to said top panel by a suitable hinge 56. Spaced below the top panel 62 is a transverse inwardly and downwardly sloping baffle 68 enclosing a hopper 69 in which are two funnels 70 and 71, and extending downwardly from said funnels are chutes 72 and 73. The funnels 70 and 71 are positioned adjacent the opposite ends 58 and are disposed on opposite sides of the shaft 24. The chutes 72 and 73 have inwardly sloping portions 74 and 75 at the end of which are downwardly sloping branch portions 76 having a common portion or junction at 78. The ends of the branch portions 76 are fixed over the openings 28 so that balls passing through the chutes 72 and 73 are guided into said openings.

At the upper end of the sloping portion 74 is a generally horizontally disposed slide bar 80 slidably mounted through the chute 72, said slide bar having a flat, vertically disposed strip 82, the upper edge of which has a flange 84 substantially normal to said strip. The slide bar 80 is positioned so that the strip 82 obstructs the sloping portion 74 while the flange 84 obstructs the chute 72 immediately below the funnel 70. The slide bar 80 extends outwardly through the side 54 and is fitted with a knob 86, a spring 88 being fitted coaxially of the slide bar 80 and compressed between said knob and the side 54 to bias the slide bar outwardly. The flange 84 has a notch 90 which is normally aligned with the chute 72 as in Fig. 10, while the strip 82 has a notch 92 olfset from the notch 90 and normally positioned outside the sloping portion 74, as in Fig. 9. Thus when the slide bar 80 is pressed inwardly against the spring 88, the notch 92 is aligned in the sloping portion 74 while the flange 84 advances to elfectively block the chute 72. Inward travel of the slide bar 80 is limited by a shoulder 94 formed in the strip 82 adjacent the knob 86, while outward travel is limited by a lip 96 extending from the end of said strip. The notches 90 and 92 are thus accurately and selectively aligned at two positions of the slide bar 80.

Slidably mounted through the chute 73 is a further slide bar 100 which is structurally and functionally similar in all respects to the slide bar 80, except that the slide bar 100 is somewhat longer to extend across the casing 52, as in Fig. 10.

Slidably mounted through the upper ends of the branch portions 76 are further slide bars 102 and 104 which are disposed on opposite sides of the junctions 78. The slide bars 102 and 104 each extend through both the chutes 72 and 73, as shown in Figs. 9 and and project outwardly through the side 56, said slide bars having knobs 106 thereon and being biased outwardly by springs 108. The slide bars 102 and 104 are similar and each comprises an elongated flat bar having a pair of spaced notches notches 110 therein, the notches normally being outside the branch portions 76. When the slide bars are pressed inwardly the notches 110 are aligned inside the branch portions 76 to allow balls to pass therethrough. To ensure accurate alignment of the notches 110, travel of the slide bars 102 and 104 is limited by shoulders 112 adjacent the knobs 106 and by end lips 114, as on the slide bar 80. To provide adequate spacing for the knobs 106 the slide bars 102 and 104 have offset portions 116.

The particular apparatus shown is for two players although, of course, the apparatus may be suitably modified to accommodate additional players by adding more openings 28 and score bins 20, more branch portions 76 and slide bars 102 and 104, the chutes '72 and 73, selector disc 22 and ducts 34 also being arranged to suit. The simple form shown, however, suffices to illustrate the invention, the operation thereof and method of play, which is as follows:

Each player turns the knob 26 to rotate the selector disc 22 so that neither player knows the actual position of the disc at the start of the game. If desired, the index pin 38 can be withdrawn so that the opposing players cannot count the clicks and thereby deduce the position of the disc. A number of balls 50 are then dropped into the hopper 69 and some of the balls fall into each funnel 70 and 71. The balls enter the chutes 72 and 73 and, as shown in Fig. 8, are arrested by the slide bars and 100. The notch in the flange 84 allows one ball to drop into the upper end of the sloping portion 75 where it rests against the strip 82, a similar action taking place in the sloping portion 74.

By pressing one of the slide bars 80 or inwardly, one ball may be released through the notch 92 of the particular slide bar, so that the ball falls to the junction 78. As the selected slide bar is moved, the flange 84 holds back the other balls in the chute so that only one ball drops at a time. By pressing one of the slide bars 102 or 104 inwardly, the ball at the junction 78 may be released into either of the branch portions 76 through the notches allowing the ball to drop through one of the openings 28. The ball is directed to one of the scoring bins 20 through the system of ducts 34 and the player is credited with the score marked in that bin. The game is played with a player on each side of the device so that one player has access to the slide bars 80 and 100 and the other player to the slide bars 102 and 104. Thus both players must operate the preselector to direct one ball to the scoring bins 20. However, since the two sets of slide bars are on opposite sides of the apparatus, each player may move without the other player knowing which chute the ball is in. Thus the resultant score is unpredictable and the game requires a mixed strategy. Each player, is, of course, assigned one pair of scoring bins 20 at one end and all balls reaching those particular bins are credited to his score.

A simplified form of the apparatus is shown in Fig. 11 and this is merely the director unit 6 with the preselector unit 8 removed. To facilitate play the top panel 12 is suitably marked to indicate a definite opening 28 to be used for each play as follows: each player takes a number of balls 50, of two contrasting colors such as black and white, with which to play. The casing 10 or score bins 20 are also conspicuously colored to distinguish between the two ends for the two players, the colors red and green being used as an example. Each player selects one ball from the group of black and white balls, concealing the color thereof until his opponent has also made a choice. One player then inserts the chosen ball into the specified opening 28. The top panel 12 is demarked to indicate which opening is to be used for a particular color ball of each player. Thus if the player using the green end of the apparatus selects a black ball and the player using the red end selects a white ball, one player must insert a ball in the opening 28 common to the semicircular areas labelled Green plays Black and Red plays White. It is immaterial which player inserts'the ball since the combined choices of the two players determine the particular opening to be used and the resultant score is inevitable.

Other combinations of colors and the moves associated therewith will be obvious. The balls are directed to certain of the scoring bins 20 according to the direction in which they are deflected through the channels 30 and the player is credited with the score marked in the particular score bin. By trial and error each player then devises the strategy to play the rest of the balls and gain the highest score to win the game. Thus each player attempts to direct all the balls played into his own score bins, and the judicious choice between the two colors available to each player for each play makes this possible. If the apparatus is constructed for use by more than two players, additional colors may be used to further the possible combinations of play and enable many different strategies to be used in playing the game.

After each game, the selector disc 22 is rotated to a further unknown position so that the players must again deduce the best strategy by trial and error. By so changing the selector disc 22, the element of chance is greatly increased and the game takes on added interest as the players attempt to determine the possible score of each play. Thus the game can be divided into two general phases: (1) determining the resultant scores by trial and error; and (2) devising the best mixed strategy to win.

The operation of this invention will be clearly comprehended from a consideration of the foregoing description of the mechanical details thereof, taken in connection with the drawing and the above recited objects. It will be obvious that all said objects are amply achieved by this invention.

Further description would appear to be unnecessary.

It is understood that minor variation from the forms of the invention disclosed herein may be made without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that the specification and drawing are to be considered as merely illustrative rather than limiting.

I claim:

1. A game apparatus for opposing players comprising; a casing having a plurality of score bins; a plurality of ball receiving exterior openings in said casing and simultaneously visible to said opposing players; ball receivers below and adjacent each of said openings; ducts communicating from said receivers to said score bins such that a ball dropped in any one of said openings can be directed to any one of a plurality of said score bins; and a rotatable selector mounted between said receivers and said openings; said selector having a plurality of channels therethrough; said channels being disposed so that a ball from one of said openings can be directed into any one of the receivers adjacent that opening at one position of said selector for directing balls from said openings into said receivers selectively, said ducts and selector being in part hidden from the view of the players so that the path of said ball cannot be fully determined visually.

2. A game apparatus for opposing players comprising; a casing having a plurality of score bins; a plurality of ball receiving exterior openings in said casing; a plurality of ball receivers below and adjacent each of said open ings; ducts communicating from said receivers to said score bins such that a ball dropped in any one of said openings can be directed to any one of a plurality of said score bins; a manually operable selector disc rotatably mounted between said receivers and said openings; said selector disc having a plurality of channels therethrough; said channels being disposed such that a ball from one of said openings can be directed into any one of the receivers adjacent that opening at one position of said selector disc, said ducts and selector disc together constituting structure which is at least partly hidden from the view of the players so that the path of said ball cannot be fully determined visually.

3. A game apparatus for opposing players comprising; a casing having a plurality of score bins; a plurality of ball receiving openings in said casing and simultaneously visible to said opposing players; a plurality of ball receivers below and adjacent each of said openings; ducts communicating from said receivers to said score bins such that a ball dropped in any one of said openings can be directed to any one of said score bins; a manually operable selector disc rotatably mounted between said receivers and said openings; said selector disc having a plurality of channels therethrough; said channels being angularly disposed such that a ball from one of said openings can be directed into any one of the receivers adjacent that opening at one position of said selector disc;

and detent means operatively engaging said selector disc, whereby said channels are positively aligned with said openings, said ducts and selector disc together constituting structure which is at least partly hidden from the view of the players so that the path of said ball cannot be fully determined visually.

4. A game apparatus for opposing players comprising; a casing having a plurality of score bins; a plurality of ball receiving openings in said casing and simultaneously visible to said opposing players; a plurality of ball receivers below and adjacent each of said openings; ducts communicating from said receivers to said score bins such that a ball placed in any one of said openings can be directed to any one of said score bins; a manually operable selector disc rotatably mounted between said receivers and said openings; said selector disc having a plurality of channels therethrough; said channels being angularly disposed such that a ball from one of said openings can be directed into any one of the receivers adjacent that opening at one position of said selector disc; said selector disc having a plurality of sockets in the periphery thereof; an index pin slidably mounted in said casing and having an end portion engageable in said sockets; said index pin being biased toward said selector disc; and said index pin having a portion extending externally of said casing for manual operation of the pin, said ducts and selector disc together'constituting structure which is at least partly hidden from the view of the players so that the path of said ball cannot be fully determined visually.

5. A game apparatus according to claim 1 and wherein said selector has means for manual arbitrary setting thereof.

6. A game apparatus for opposing players comprising: a casing having a plurality of score bins; a plurality of ball receiving openings in said casing; preselector means for directing balls into each of said openings selectively; said means including a hopper for storing a quantity of balls; chutes communicating from said hopper to said openings; each of said chutes having a downwardly sloping portion; and divergent branch portions from said sloping portions to said openings; first manually operable bars extending through and slidable in each of said sloping portions; and second bars extending through and slidable in said branch portion; said bars each having notches positioned for alignment inside said chutes at one position of the bars to release balls through the chutes,.and said bars obstructing the chutes in another position; said first bars being accessible to one player and said second bars being accessible to another player, whereby operation by more than one is required to direct one ball to one of said openings; a plurality of ball directing means disposed beneath and adjacent to each of said openings, different directing means communicating with different bins, to direct balls to the various score bins, and means, operable by the players, to change the score by changing the path of balls between said openings and the different directing means communicating with difierent bins, to direct balls to the various score bins, and means for changing the path of balls between said openings and the different directing means adjacent thereof, thereby determining which of said score bins a ball dropped into one of said openings will be directed to in play, said preselector means and means for changing being at least partially hidden from view of the players so that the paths of the ball cannot be fully determined visually.

Burdick Apr. 14, 1936 De Palma Oct. 30, 1951 

